As a mother of three, it’s always been important to Nicole Quaresimo to limit screen time.

“We really just want them to socialize and be a kid and enjoy being a kid and not kind of be stuck on a screen," Quaresimo said.

What You Need To Know

  • In recent months, cell phone use in schools has been a hot button issue recently in New York

  • Governor Kathy Hochul is on a statewide listening tour on addressing excessive smartphone use in schools because she plans to propose a statewide policy on this issue that will be announced later this year

  • Cell phones can be a safety concern, a distraction and a contributor to the overall mental health of students

But when her oldest son Ryland got to middle school, he started walking there, since they live next door. Nicole and her husband didn't want their son having unlimited access to a cell phone, especially in school. So they got him an Apple Watch for safety and so he could communicate with them when needed.

“When we first got the watch, you have to get a cell number that's linked to it. So we had to get a phone. So we keep the phone at home when he’s at school and he has the watch on all day, and especially when he goes anywhere with his friends, he always has the watch on," Quaresimo said.

For the most part, the phone stays at their house and acts as a “house phone." Nicole can set parental controls on the watch and the phone, limiting what Ryland can do and how much time he can spend on both devices.

In recent months, cell phone use in schools has been a hot-button issue in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul is on a statewide listening tour to address excessive smartphone use in schools because she plans to propose a statewide policy on this issue that will be announced later this year.

“She's been very clear, not only in our roundtable but the subsequent roundtables, that she's trying to balance what's right for all students in New York state versus school districts throughout New York state, making decisions for their own students,"  says Joseph Hochreiter, the superintendent of Albany City Schools.

Hochreiter says schools have done everything they can to use cell phones as a tool for learning, but they can still be a safety concern, a distraction and a contributor to the overall mental health of students.

"If policies are good for mental health to support mental health of students in Albany, those policies should be the same whether they're in Buffalo, the Adirondacks or Long Island. And that's what she's been contemplating," Hochreiter said.

Nicole says cell phones can be a valuable asset for kids, as long as the privilege isn’t abused.

“I think you just have to have that conversation and set boundaries, and you can talk to your kid about what good looks like, right?" Quaresimo said.